There are several areas of instability and war in Africa. The two most serious in the number of people being killed are in Congo and Sudan. The first is contained within one huge country, with spillovers into Rwanda and Burundi, but with the participation of others: Zimbabwe, Angola and Uganda, mostly in hope of loot.

Another area is in west Africa, fanning out from the civil war in Liberia and involving its neighbors: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. The Liberia war has been suppressed and its war lord Charles Taylor put on trial, Sierra Leone may have a government again and Guinea may be becoming more peaceful, but Ivory Coast continues to smoulder and may break out at any time.

In the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland and Eritrea) wars continue. At the request of the United States Ethiopia has invaded Somalia, which has no government. Wars within Ethiopia smoulder, especially in Ogaden, bordering on Somalia. A war with Eritrea also breaks out from time to time.

In North Africa there are tensions between Algeria and Morocco, mostly dormant at present, and in Western Sahara. The Algerian civil war between a French speaking elite and the Arabic and Berber population continues to smoulder, under the guise of religious extremism.